Transformers 5 Brings in Nazis, Is Optimus Prime Fighting Hitler?

As if Merlin wasn't weird enough, Transformers: The Last Knight just got a whole lot more strange and potentially offensive. Thanks to some new set photos, it looks like Michael Bay has decided to include Nazis in the fifth Transformers movie. Not only are Nazis apparently going to be in the movie, but the production team decided that it was a good idea to make Winston Churchill's former home into Nazi headquarters, which is understandably ruffling some feathers.

The Sun broke the news that Transformers 5 was filming at the historic Blenheim Palace. The photos that the publication published with the report showed the birthplace of Winston Churchill draped in Nazi flags. The report also claimed that there were actors dressed in SS uniforms and World War II era vehicles around the premises. Outside of what this may mean for the movie, which we'll dig into in a second, army veterans are not happy about it. Here is what Col. Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, told The Sun.

"I know it's a film, but it's symbolically disrespectful to Churchill. He will be turning in his grave."

Outside of the understandable outrage about Michael Bay deciding to film this sequence for Transformers: The Last Knight at the birthplace of the British Prime Minister who helped defeat the Nazis, this is significant for the movie. Confusing, but significant. We already know that Merlin and the sword Excalibur will somehow factor into the plot of Transformers 5, but now the story will somehow make its way to World War II-era Germany as well. Plot details for the movie have been kept under wraps, so at the moment, this is a pretty bizarre development in terms of how it will work. While it isn't totally official, we did report a few months ago a rumored plot for Transformers: The Last Knight. In case you missed it, here is the rumored plot.

"The story for Transformers: The Last Night will involve Optimus Prime finding his home planet, Cybertron, now a dead planet, which he comes to find he was responsible for killing. He finds a way to bring the planet back to life, but in order to do so he needs to find an artifact. And of course, that artifact is on Earth. Somehow the artifact ties into Merlin, the magician of King Arthur lore. Apparently, the power of magic was given to Merlin by a Transformer and somehow the artifact ties into this."

Using that potential plot, we can speculate that maybe the Nazis got a hold of the artifact in question at some point. Outside of that, we can't make any truly educated guesses as to how the Nazis will factor into Transformers: The Last Knight. The only other thing that we have now been able to figure out is that Anthony Hopkins' character was recently revealed via a video released by Paramount. In the video, he was shown in attire that would appear to put the character in the WWII time period, not to mention the old tanks that were shown in the video. So, it seems like Anthony Hopkins could somehow be connected to the Nazis in the movie, or at least it looks like he will be featured in the parts of the movie that take place in that time period. Michael Bay did address the controversy behind the filming location and the Churchill situation with BBC News, and revealed that Winston Churchill is in the movie. So, is it possible that is who Anthony Hopkins is playing? Maybe, but here is what Michael Bay had to say.

"There's a thing I saw in the paper about Blenheim, and I just want to say that people were not fortunate enough to read the script. They don't know that Churchill, in this movie, is a big hero and Churchill would be smiling about last night."

The big question is, will Adolf Hitler appear in the movie? We have no idea, not do we know who would play him, but we can't rule it out as a possibility at this point. Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese Gibson and Josh Duhamel are returning for the movie and they will be joined by Isabela Moner, Anthony Hopkins, Britain's loneliest dog Freya and of course, Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime. Transformers: The Last Knight drops on June 23, 2017. Be sure to check out the set photo for yourself below.